Monday, November 24, 2008

Another Quick Seed

9:30 PM
The library was empty, apart from two men and a woman, seated around a table, whispering. Oze began to feel nervous. He was the only librarian currently on duty, and the three figures in the dark intimidated him. He pretended to type at his computer and scan in some books as he listened to their hushed conversation.

“You sent helicopters? Do you have any idea how stupid you are, Carlton?” said the tallest man, a figure hidden by a black coat and dark glasses.
“I’m sorry, Dr Shade. You said…on the phone…” replied a shorter, fatter man.
“Shut up. Genevieve, how is operation Red Swan coming along?”
“Splendid, Sir!” giggled the woman. “The Warehouse is producing one hundred units a day. We keep them in the bags, of course.”
“Good. Have you done anything about the noise? We don’t want any of the townspeople to get suspicious.”
“I’ll get Marconi onto it right away, Sir.”
“Excellent. Carlton, you can deal with Arthexis, and call off those damn helicopters. This is espionage, not war!”

The woman and the fat man departed, leaving the mysterious character with the dark glasses on his own. He looked intimidating, and was sitting with his fingers steepled, staring at a bust of Copernicus.
“Excuse me, sir,” said Oze from behind the desk, “would you like any assistance? We’re about to close.”
“I am about to leave” said the man coldly.
“Uh…alright, sir” said Oze meekly.
The man arose, walked over to the door and left silently. Through the window, Oze saw a Bentley disappear down 1st Street,

"Nomic is a game in which changing the rules is a move. In that respect it differs from almost every other game. The primary activity of Nomic is proposing changes in the rules, debating the wisdom of changing them in that way, voting on the changes, deciding what can and cannot be done afterwards, and doing it. Even this core of the game, of course, can be changed."